schepbauer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. SOHEFBAUER.

ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

ANDREW B.GRI\HAM FHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTONJ) C,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. SGHEFBAUER.

ELEGTRIG ARC LAMP.

No. 546,826. Patented Sept. 24, 1895.

ma IWIIIIIIIEIIIIIIIIIIIIII/AEIIMIWA I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4 I ANDREW EYGRAHAM PHOTO-L'THO WASHINGTONJJC NITED STATES PATENT nrrc.

RUPERT SOHEFBAUER, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR TO THE AUERBAOILWOOLVERTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,826, dated September 24, 1895.

Application filed November 16, 1894. Serial No. 528,966. (No model.)

T0 all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, RUPERT SCHEFBAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of NewJersey, have invented an Improvement in Arc Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

In this. improvement the carbons are secured upon swinging arms provided with segmental racks engaging pinions upon one shaft, by the movements of which pinions the carbons are brought together or separated, and a framework pivoted upon the shaft carries a springearing and a fly, there being a stop that engages the H y and which is liberated by coming in contact with a stationary stop as the framework and gearing are swung by the action of an electro magnet or magnets in the circuit passing to the carbons. By this arrangement when the arms are drawn apart and the carbons inserted the spring of the mechanism is wound up, and this tends to rotate the fly in such a direction that the carbons can approach each other. Hence when the frame and gearing are swung by the action of the magnet as the arc is lengthened and the resistance increases the stop that holds the fly is released, allowing the fly to revolve and the carbons tobe brought nearer together, and in thus lessening the resistance of the arc the magnet is influenced so as to swing the frame and stop the fly until the operation is repeated, and where two electromagnets are made use of, one in the main circuit and the other in a shunt, these act in opposite directions upon the lever that swings the framework of the gearing, and a dash-pot is provided to prevent the sudden movement of the parts as they swing.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a general elevation with part of the base-plate in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan near the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a section of the inclosing case and plates. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the position of the parts when the frame has been swung, and Fig. 5 is a diagram of the circuit connections.

The plate A and top plate B are connected together by the bars'or' columns 0, and usually it is advantageous to provide an inclosing case D with a skirt E, extending outwardly and downwardly around the ring F, that supports the globe or glass G, and the ring F is hinged at 4 to the downwardly-bent projection upon the plate A, and there is a ring or book 5 to hold the ring F of the glass G when the parts are swung up into position for use, and the cap H, preferably of sheet metal, is provided for lamps that are used out of doors to shed off rain, such cap being held by the bolt 1, at the upper end of which is a ring for a suspending hook or other device, and the conductors are passed through the holes 6 in the cap H to the bindingposts 7 and S; but when the lamp is intended forvuse indoors the cap H is not required, and the suspending ring I can be connected directly to the top plate B.

The pinion-shaft 9 is supported at its ends in the bars or columns 0, and it carries the frame K of the gearing and a spring-barrel L, there being a pawl 10 between the ratchetteeth on the spring-barrel and the first gearwheel 11 and one or more intermediate gearwheels 12, and pinions serve to dry the fly or fly-wheel 13, which is preferably provided with one or more stops engaging a spring-stop 14, that is fastened at its lower end to the frame K, and its upper end comes into contact with a stop, preferably formed of the screw 15, as illustrated in Fig. 4, so that when the frame K is swung upon the pinion-shaft 9 the spring-stop 14 may be liberated to allow the fly 13 to rotate by the action of the spring in the barrel L.

The shaft 9 has two pinions16 and 17, which engage teeth upon the racks M and N, which racks are pivoted at 18 and connected with the arms M and N, respectively, such connections preferably being made with insulating material, so that the electric current is confined to the arms M N and the carbons Oand P, that are carried by such arms, the conductors 19 and 20 being connected to such arms M and N, respectively, and Iremark that these conductors 19 and 20 are preferably made of two or more Wires with insulating covering twisted together so as to be flexible, and they pass through holes with insulating-linings 21 22 in the plate A and are connected to the binding-posts 7 and 8, respectively, the main circuit passing through the electromaguet Q and a shuntcircuit passing through the electromagnet R, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The segmental rack M is above the pinion 16 and the segmental rack N is below the pin i011 17. Hence by rotating the shaft 9 and its pinions in one direction the carbons are brought toward each other with uniformity, and by rotating the pinions and shaft in the other direction the carbons are separated with uniformity. Hence the point of combustion and the electric arc will remain quiescent, or nearly so, especially where one carbon is larger than the other, so that the carbons will be shortened as consumed with uniformity, or nearly so.

Connected with the frame K is the lever S, such connection being near the center of the lever, so that the ends of the lever extend as arms and receive the cores 23 24- of the electro magnets Q and 1%, respectively, and it is ad vantageous to make use of a dash-pot T, the piston of which is connected to the lever S, and the dash-pot serves, as usual, to prevent asudden movementof the lever-S and frame K.

It will now be understood that when the arms M N are separated, so as to receive new carbons into the carbon-holders at the ends of the respective arms, the racks M and N rotate the pinions and pinion-shaft 9 and wind up the spring, and the pawl 10 holds the spring-barrel, and in the normal position the frame K is vertical, or nearly so. If the carbons touch each other at their inner ends the current passes freely through the carbons and through the helices of the electromagnet'Q, and the core 23 of the magnet Q, is attracted and drawn upwardly, and by the lever S the frame K is swung and the pi nions 16 and 17 are simultaneously turned and act upon the racks M and N to draw the are, and as the arc is elongated and the resistance becomes greater the magnetism of the helix Q is correspondingly lessened and the carbons are moved toward each other, and as the core 23 descends the frame K is swung until the spring 14 is arrested by the screw 15, and the further movement of the frame liberates the fly-wheel 13 and allows the same to revolve by the action of the spring through the gearing, and in so doing the pinions 16 and 17 are rotated to bring the carbons nearer together, thereby lessening the resistance and causing the electromagnet Q to move the frame toward a vertical position and liberate the spring 14 from the stop 15 and allow such spring to hold or stop the fly until the movements are repeated.

With alternating currents the main helix Q, only is required, a spring, however, being in this case needed, as shown at 25, to draw the core 23 downwardly. With low-tension currents the electromagnets Q and R are advantageously made use of, the electromagnet B being in a shunt and acting in the opposite direction to the magnet Q, and with high-tension currents the electromagnet R, of fine wire alone, may be made use of, there being a spring to act in the opposite direction in place of the electromagnet R, as indicated by dotted lines at 26. The pivots 18, being in line with each other, allow the arms M N to ho swung toward each other or away from each other, according to the length of the carbons, without disturbing the relative positions of such carbons, and in consequence of these arms being insulated from their pivots and from the racks there is no current necessarily passing through the framework of the machine, it being understood that the bindingposts also are insulated. This lessens the risk of injury to an attendant when applying or adjusting the carbons.

It is to be understood that the two magnets may be used, as shown, with any character of currents and that the resistance of the helices in the main line or in the shunt is to be proportioned in the well-known manner, according to whether the lamps are to be used in multiple are or in series. It, however, sometimes happens that a carbon breaks and the arc is interrupted through the main-line helix, thereby throwing the current through the shunt-helix, and this is liable to be heated and injured. To avoid this dilliculty, I make use of the switch U, made as a lever upon a suitable insulated support V, and this switchlever U is placed so that thelever S will bear upon the same and move it when the energy of the electromagnet R becomes excessive and the circuit-closer of the switch U comes into contact with a spring 27, with which is connected a wire running to the hindingpost 8. Hence the current will pass from 7 through V U 27 and the wire 28 to the negative binding-post 8, and this wire 28 contains the necessary resistance, according to the manner in which the lamp is applied in the circuit. I prefer to employ a series-wound helix upon the magnet R, forming partof the wire 28, so that when contact is made between U and 27 the helix R will be energized, so as to continue to act upon the lever S and maintain contact between U and 27, and in this case it is advantageous to employ a circuit-closing spring 29, acting in conjunction with the switch-lever U, to which spring 29 the shuntwire of the primary helix R is connected. Hence the current will be broken through the primary helix R and shunted over the wire 28 and its helix to the negative binding-post.

I prefer to employ an armature 30 in the form of a screw in line with the core of the magnet R and in such a position that when the current may be diverted through the shunt-helix by the breaking of a carbon the movement given to the core of the electromagnet R will be sufficient to bring the upper end into contact with the armature 30, whereby the magnetism will hold the core momentarily and prevent a break. in the contact between the switch U and the spring 27, especially so if the currentpassing over the wire 28 reverses the polarity of the core. Hence the switch will not break the circuit between U and 27, but when connected in series, as shown, the polarity will not be changed.

Should the mechanism feed the carbons toward each other, so as to bring them into contact and restore the current through the helix Q, its core will move the lever S and break contact between U and 27, restoring the lamp to its normal condition.

I do not claim an adjustable plug at the end of the main-line helix and opposite the end of the core of such helix, as this has been proposed.

In my present improvement by placing the armature 30 opposite to the core of the finewire shunt-magnet such armature acts in connection with the current passing through the shunt-helix, and according to the position to which such armature 30 is adjusted so the lamp will be adapted to whatever voltage is made use of, and the shunt-magnet will respond according to the voltage passing through said shunt-magnet, as determined by the length of are between the carbons.

It is to be understood that the armature 30, being in the form of a screw, can be adjusted nearer to or farther from the end of the core 24-, and hence the power of the shunt-magnets in the regulation of the arc can be varied by such adjustment.

1 claim as my invention 1. The-combination with a spring, a frame and gearing and a fly, of pinions on the shaft rotated by the spring, carbon holders and racks upon the same at opposite sides of the pinions, a ratchet to hold the spring as strained by the carbon holders being separated, a spring stop upon the frame and acting to hold the fly, an electro-magnet and con- .nection for moving the frame, and a device with which the spring stop is brought into contact and liberated from the fly to allow the same to rotate as the carbons are brought toward each other, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a spring, a frame and gearing and a fly, of pinions on the shaft rotated by the spring, carbon holding arms, pivots upon which such arms swing, racks upon the carbon holding arms one above and the other below its pinion, a ratchet to hold the spring as strained by the carbon holding arms being separated, a spring stop for the fly and an electro-magnet, a lever connected to and moving the frame, a screw for arresting the spring stop and liberating the fly so that the spring rotates the pinions to bring the carbons toward each other, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the pivoted carbon holding arms and their segmental racks, of pinions at the opposite sides of which the racks act, and a shaft and a spring connected with such shaft, a train of gearing and a fly, a ratchet wheel and pawl intervening between the pinion shaft and train of gearing, a yielding stop for the fly, and a rocking frame and electro-magnet for moving the same and libcrating the fly, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a spring barrel and fly, of pinions on the shaft of the spring barrel, carbon holding arms, pivots upon which such arms swing, racks upon the carbon holding arms one above and the other below its pinion, a ratchet to hold the spring as wound up by the carbon holding arms being separated, a stop for the fly, and an electro-magnet to move the parts and allow the fly to rotate as the carbons approach each other, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in an electric arc lamp, of a helix in the main line circuit passing through the carbons, a helix in a shunt circuit, a lever acted upon by the cores of the two electro-magnets, a switch moved by such lever, circuit connections and a resistance that is added in the shunt circuit by the movement of the switch so that the helix and resistance are in series if the circuit through the carbons is interrupted substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the carbons and the electro-magnet in the main circuit, of an electro-magnet in a shunt circuit, a lever connecting the cores of the magnets and the armature 30 for varying the action of the shunt magnet, and a switch acted upon by the lever, and a resistance thrown into the shunt by the switch, substantially asspecifled.

Signed by me this 9th day of November, 1894.

RUPERT SOHEFBAUER.

WVitnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. I-IAVILAND. 

